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New recordings are purported to be Russians and rebels discussing missile

The alleged militants talk about shooting down a plane

The voices on the audio say they thought it was a military plane

"We have just shot down a plane. ... A plume of smoke is visible."

The biggest clue so far into who may have shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 might be what Ukrainian officials say are intercepted communications between pro-Russian rebels operating in eastern Ukraine.

The recordings, translated and distributed by Ukrainian officials, begin with an alleged militant informing others that a plane has been shot down.

The communication picks up later, once the alleged rebels reach the scene of the crash.

Here's a segment of a conversation between an alleged pro-Russian rebel named Major and another identified as Grek, per Ukrainian authorities:

Photos:Photos: Reaction to MH17

Photos:Photos: Reaction to MH17

World reacts to MH17 crash – Families of crew members aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 gather for a vigil Tuesday, July 22, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All 298 people aboard the passenger plane died when it was shot down Thursday, July 17, in a rebel-controlled part of eastern Ukraine.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – A woman cries July 22 during a service near the crash site.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – People in Melbourne gather to mourn the victims during a candlelight vigil at Federation Square on July 22.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – In memory of two Newcastle United fans who died in the crash, two wreaths are placed on seats July 22 at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand. The soccer fans were traveling to New Zealand to watch their team play in a preseason tournament.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – A KLM employee reaches out into a sea of flowers July 22 at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – A flower and stuffed animal sit near the crash site on Monday, July 21.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – A woman in Kuala Lumpur attends a candlelight vigil on July 21.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko attends a flower-laying ceremony at the Dutch Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, on July 21. Although the passengers came from all over the world, many of them were Dutch because the flight originated in Amsterdam.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – A woman places a flower during a candlelight vigil in Kuala Lumpur on July 21.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – Mourners in Eynesbury, Australia, attend a memorial service Sunday, July 20, for a family of five killed in the disaster.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – Buddhist monks in the Malaysian capital light candles during a special prayer for the victims on July 20.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – Wildflowers lie on an engine from the crashed jet on Saturday, July 19.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – Friends of Nur Shazana Mohamed, a crew member aboard the flight, take part in a special remembrance prayer at a mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on July 19.

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World reacts to MH17 crash – Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte signs a condolence register at the Ministry of Safety and Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on Friday, July 18. "I want to see results in the form of unimpeded access and rapid recovery," Rutte said in a press briefing. "This is now priority number one."

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told CNN on Friday that the phone calls were intercepted at the same time that the plane was shot down.

Yatsenyuk called for international support "to bring to justice all these bastards who committed this international crime."

Russia has not directly responded to the content of the audio, but President Vladimir Putin has blamed Ukraine for the crash. "This tragedy would not have happened if there had been peace on that land, or in any case, if military operations in southeastern Ukraine had not been renewed," he said.

An additional set of recordings released by Ukrainian intelligence officials Friday is said to link the rebels to the time that the missile allegedly took down the plane.

One recording, purportedly between the military chief of the separatist Lugansk National Republic and a Russian military intelligence officer, discusses the missile system, called a Buk.

The alleged rebel is heard telling the supposed Russian officer that they hold the Buk.

"Yes, I know that," the Russian officer responds.

In a separate audio, another alleged Russian military intelligence officer and another rebel military chief discuss where to unload and hide the Buk.